A Year in the Life of a BSD GuruFollow the ups and downs of a BSD sysadmin, trainer, author and advocate while gaining insight into the BSD community and what it is like to live in the shadow of Linux, BSD's younger but flashier cousin.

An Expert's Guide to Oracle TechnologyLewis Cunningham is an Oracle ACE Director, Oracle 11g Certified Professional (OCP), Oracle 11g Certified Data Warehouse Implementation Specialist, Database Architect and self-professed database geek. Lewis has almost 20 years of database experience. Follow along as he builds a working Oracle encyclopedia, sharing his knowledge and experiences, and describing ways to integrate that technology in various projects and business areas.

Business Intelligence 101: Principles for SuccessFollow one BI & DW Consultant as he analyzes the deliverance of successful technology and implementations, discusses key factors for building strong teams and developing good processes, shares his experience in what works and what doesn’t, and looks to the future of this ever changing industry.

Cognos In ActionI’ve been developing financial, accounting, and production reports for the last 20 years. Follow along as I share practical experiences in making Cognos Impromptu and Powerplay have a major impact on how organizations do business. I’ll also talk real life systems development, work philosophy, and more about the kind of people I’ve met along the way.

Data Warehousing CentsAfter more than 10 years working as a data analyst, data warehouse developer, manager, and consultant, I have seen a number of projects fail to live up to their potential. In most cases, the problem is less a matter of execution than a failure of vision. A bloated business intelligence budget and narrow ROI reflect a lack of leadership. In this blog, I will share some of my experiences and offer ideas that I believe will lead to successful BI implementations. Even more so, I hope to learn from others who happen to come across these posts.

Diary of a Database GeekI've worked with databases for a long time, and still enjoy it immensely. Here I'll seek to share some of the knowledge I gain as I explore new technologies and work on solutions for customers.

SQL Is Your FriendOver the years, I have found that many developers avoid learning about and using SQL until they absolutely have to, and then learn and use as little as possible. I've also learned that SQL can not only significantly reduce the amount of code that needs to be developed but also the amount of time needed to get the job done (both coding time and run time). Thus my mantra, "SQL is your friend!"
After I became a Database Development, I progressively moved further away from applications development and toward developing databases, ETL processes, and such. However, I still believe, especially with regard to ETL processes, that SQL is your friend.
Now that I have moved into a "semi-retirement" mode where I am doing independent work and providing short term assistance to those who have database issues but don't have the budget for a full time Database Developer, I am also finding myself observing computer systems that I encounter and wearing my "System Analyst" hat as I consider how those systems show their highlights and their flaws. I also find myself observing all manner of developers for those same characteristics.

UNIX Admin: All in a Day's WorkWhat is going on at work, good and bad, and yes sometimes the ugly. From the eyes of a Sys Admin contractor/consultant with plenty of management experience. Technical and management expertise along with experiences will be shared. All entries will be open for discussion as I like to hear what others think.